


A Minute or Two, Maybe a Few

by Beetle Brownleaf (monsterlover)



Series: Someone to Talk To [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: F/M, Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers Spoilers, First Kiss, Fluff, Kai-Shirr generally just being adorable, Patch 5.0: Shadowbringers Spoilers, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:15:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25257541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/monsterlover/pseuds/Beetle%20Brownleaf
Relationships: Kai-Shirr (Final Fantasy XIV)/Original Character(s)
Series: Someone to Talk To [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1829860
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14





	A Minute or Two, Maybe a Few

It started with a knock. 

Room 445. Where Hana was staying at the Pendants in the Crystarium. 

“Who is it?” he heard from inside.

“Uh, ahem, it’s me, Kai-Shirr?” he said, “We met during the whole... Talos thing? I was wondering if you had… a minute or two... or... a few?”

He grimaced, shaking his head rapidly. _Stupid,_ he muttered to himself.

“Oh! Oh sure! Let me just, um, get ready real quick,” she said. The noise of shuffling around and closing books could be heard from within, followed by a bottle knocking over - _shite_ , he heard her curse.

When the door finally opened, he found himself completely unprepared for the sight of her again; her beauty floored him. 

"Huh," she said, "You sure clean up well."

He looked down at his new clothes, courtesy of his new job at the Beehive.

"Oh, thanks! I uh, got that new job now, have to look the part," he said, “I just got done with my shift n’ all that…”

"Well, have you had dinner yet?" she said.

"No, uh, have you?"

She smiled, shaking her head, bouncing on her heels.

"No."

"Well um, do you wanna get something with me? I have- I have money now," he said, immediately wishing he could sink into the floor. 

She laughed, eyes sparkling, and he felt instantly at ease.

"Don't worry about that, Kai-Shirr. My treat. I insist," she said, finally locking the door up behind her, "Come on!"

She hooked her arm around his, pulling him away before he could even speak.

* * *

Their dinner was simple, but hearty; he felt like he hadn’t eaten that well in his whole life. Even in Eulmore, he had not chosen to indulge in the finer aspects of life there, so as to save his pennies. But Hana was so generous, he almost felt guilty - or he would have, if she hadn’t literally chastised him for said guilt when he had barely opened his mouth in protest.

The food wasn’t even the best part. He enjoyed himself thoroughly just listening to her talk, and talk, and talk - she knew so much, had so much to share, and was so excited about it all.

“...and that’s how I learned never to combine charged lightning shards with water shards!” she said, “Oh, but I’m talking too much. Tell me about yourself, Kai-Shirr - oh, or can I call you Kai? Is that how your names work?”

He blushed.

“Y-yeah, sure,” he replied, “It’s not… traditional, I guess, but I don’t mind. I-I like it."

Her beaming smile made his stomach do flips.

"Well then, go on, Kai."

He swallowed, his hand on the back of his neck.

"Well, not much to tell, really," he said, "Dun really know where to start either…" 

"How about the beginning?" she replied, with a tongue-in-cheek smile, "That's always a good place."

He laughed, put at ease by her playfulness.

“Well, I mean… I was born near Wight, but my ma never knew my da - or well, I guess she _knew_ , but she didn’t tell me, and he wasn’t around anyways,” he said clearing his throat, “It was um, it was hard. Ma was always real sickly and well, it got to her eventually. Nobody could really take me in, so I just started slummin’ it myself in Gatetown, where I met Bosta-Zia and Anfrigg… they didn’t have no parents either, so we sorta just took care of each other. Then they got taken into Eulmore, and… I wasn’t, until-- well, but I’m sure you heard all of that from Beetle.”

He shifted awkwardly.

“That’s… really all. Sorry it’s… sorta sad,” he said, once again mortified by his complete lack of ability to be _remotely_ interesting. 

“Oh no, that’s alright,” Hana said, her voice softening, “This is a very harsh place. That kind of harshness has a way of carving people to their truest selves. While I obviously wish none of those hardships happened to you, it’s clear it’s made you resourceful and clever - or rather, revealed the resourceful and clever lad you always were.”

Kai-Shirr’s ears flattened against his head, and his face grew hot. 

“Th-thank you,” he said.

She sighed, her face pulling into a rather somber expression.

“My mother is pretty sickly too,” she said, “Wasn’t always, of course. Before my oldest sister, she was the leader of our tribe. She’s alright, but she has to stay seated or in bed most of the time, and when she’s up, it’s with a cane. A hereditary fatigue disorder; my grandfather on her side apparently had it as well. She’s just so weak all the time. Sometimes she can hardly eat. My father and my little brother take good care of her, though. And she’s not unhappy… ohh, sorry, sorry, I’m talking too much again.”

“No!” Kai-Shirr said very suddenly, “It’s alright. I like hearing you talk. Got a lot more to talk about than I do, that’s for sure. I like it, really.”

A pause as they shared a look.

“That’s sweet of you to say,” she replied, warmly.

He smiled at her, gesturing for her to continue.

“Well, go on. Didn’t you say you had… seven siblings?”

“No no, there’s seven _total._ I’m number six of seven. It’s my oldest sister Astra, then Pahmah, then the twins Luna and Soliel, and then it’s my big brother Xindir, me, and my little brother Sakurai.”

“Do they all look like you?”

“Some of them! Our parents are really different looking; my mother is a Moon Keeper - oh, I guess you wouldn’t know what that is. Hmm. Well, Keepers have eyes like me. And Sun Seekers - what my father is - have eyes like yours,” she said, “But anyways. Most of us look like Keepers, though technically we’re both. Xindir is the only one who looks like a Seeker. But, anyways. I take after my mother, only I have green eyes. Hers are violet. But my father is dark with brown hair, and his eyes are blue. Astra got his hair and coloring, but our mother’s eyes. Pahmah has our father’s hair and eyes, but she’s pale… the twins have pink hair and blue eyes - arguably the prettiest of us, to be honest--”

“They’d really have to be something, then, to be prettier than you,” Kai-Shirr said, his stomach dropping, realizing his compliment might not have been worded _quite_ right.

Thankfully, she laughed - snorted, even.

“Oh, come on,” she said, shyly brushing it off, “Really though, they’re lovely looking girls. And Xindir was always the pretty boy, with his golden hair and tan skin, and his yellow and blue eyes. And honestly Sakurai just looks like me but with yellow eyes. Aww, last time I saw him he was sporting this brand new patch of scruff on his chin… it feels like just yesterday he was five years old, running around and climbing on everything all night. Keepers are pretty nocturnal as it is, but he just would _not_ go to sleep! Not until he’d run himself ragged and dropped wherever he was. I once found him sleeping in the kitchen, haha.”

Kai-Shirr continued to listen to her until it was well past dark, but even the still-fresh marvel of night couldn’t pull his attention away from her. 

* * *

The walk back to her room could not have been long enough; even through the fatigue of staying up so late he hated to see her go.

“Well, off to bed, I suppose,” she said, her back to her door, “But, hey. I really liked tonight. You should come see me again sometime. Or, maybe I can come see you?”

Kai-Shirr nodded excitedly.

“Yeah! Sure! You could stop by the Beehive when I’m working, I can take a break every now and then.”

Hana smiled, her hands turning the doorknob behind her.

“Okay. See you soon then,” she said, “Goodnight, Kai.”

“Goodnight, ‘Ana.”

He lingered long after the door was closed, before making his way back home. He was quiet, lost in thought, all the way up until he got to his room. 

He flopped against his bed, sighing loudly. His face and his chest were on fire; he could feel his heartbeat thrumming within it. It had only one evening, and already he had it so hopelessly bad for her.

* * *

The next week, she visited him. The week after that, he went to see her. And only four days later, she dropped by during his lunch break. Soon there were frequent, spontaneous visits that always left them both smiling like giddy fools. Then short letters began finding themselves slipped underneath his door or delivered to him through a courier, oftentimes with another letter alongside it because she had remembered something else to say after sealing the first one. He didn’t always have time to write back, usually preferring to answer them in person, but when he did, it always took him forever to think of what to say, to carefully plan out what was okay to say in the first place. Her letters had a very special place in a box in his room, and it made him happy just to read her ramblings and her ideas (with so many exclamation marks!), just to know he was in her thoughts, even when those thoughts involved academic things he didn’t quite understand.

Soon it was unavoidably obvious: he had fallen hard for her, and there wasn’t any getting out of it. But he wasn’t so sure about how she felt about him. Sure, she was always really nice to him, always talking to him and she seemed to always be thinking about him - but was it in the way he hoped? He just couldn’t be certain.

* * *

It was a clear, crisp day in the Crystarium, and Kai-Shirr had made plans to see Hana beforehand. He found her sitting at their usual table, only this time with Beetle. Oh. Was she going to join them? He liked Beetle and all, but…

"Ah, there he is," she said, "Just in time, too.”

"What're you ladies up to?" he asked.

"Ohh, just some feminine idle chatter," she joked, "Really though, I just came back from the Source and was just sharing a bit of my housekeeper’s pastries. She always makes me too many, so I thought I’d let Hana have a couple. But I actually must be going now. Urianger's been waiting for me at the amaro launch for a while. Good to see you though, lad. And always a pleasure, Hana."

"You too, Beetle! Take care!" Hana had said, as the diminutive Warrior took her leave.

Hana rose from her seat, very shyly approaching him. He swallowed as she came near.

“Hey,” she said, “I was thinking, why don’t we take a walk and have these? There’s one for each of us. Ah, you’re not allergic to snurbleberries, are you?”

Kai-Shirr gave a bemused laugh.

“I… don’t think I’ve ever heard of one, but I think I’m okay,” he said.

Hana made a dumbstruck expression.

“Oh, of course, you might not even have them here,” she said, “Silly me!”

“It’s fine. I’m sure I’ll love ‘em.”

* * *

“Wicked white, Beetle must be _rich_ ,” Kai-Shirr said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, “Gotta ‘ave a professional chef workin’ for her - that’s the best thing I think I’ve ever tasted.”

“Oh, Am’ii? She’s no professional, per se, but she’s the best cook I’ve ever met. And yes, she is _very_ well paid. Rightfully so, of course.”

“You’ve met her?”

“Oh, yes! Xindir is Beetle’s gardener, too. She’s a botanist herself, mind you, but she’s rarely home, so she needs someone to make sure the garden is tended to.”

She began to giggle.

“You know, it’s funny. When I joined the Scions, and we were all talking in the Rising Stones - that’s where our headquarters is - I met Beetle, having absolutely no idea that it was the person who had hired my brother. It was hysterical, one afternoon she had invited me to her house for tea, and I saw Xindir right outside tending her hydrangeas! Everyone was just in shock, and she insisted we both come in for tea.”

Kai-Shirr found himself smiling again at the way she told stories - bubbly and excited and so animated; he didn’t even mind that he had to avoid her arms at times when she gesticulated with them.

It grew quiet at one point, and they stopped at a point overlooking all of Lakeland, the sun just beginning to think about setting. The cool breeze sent a shiver up her spine, and Kai-Shirr kindly offered her his jacket.

"Oh, thank you," she said in response, "That's sweet of you. You… really are the sweetest man I've ever met, Kai."

His breath caught in his throat, hands trembling as they ran down her arms and pulled away.

"Naw, it's nothing," he brushed off, "I'm happy I got jackets to be offering in the first place."

She giggled, sighing as she leaned against the railings.

"That's definitely a great way of thinking of it," she said, with a contented sigh, "Ahh. You know…"

She looked down and away for a moment.

"I've never met anyone who listens as well as you do, too. I've never felt so comfortable talking to anyone. I know I… I know I seem like I'm always super happy and that nothing bothers me, but---" 

She suddenly stopped herself.

"No, no. I don't want to make it sad."

"What? 'Ana," Kai-Shirr replied, with a laugh, "You asked me about myself the first time we went out, and I told you about how I was a starving bastard orphan with a dead mum. I think I got you beat there. Come on, I like hearing what you have to say."

Hana's eyes glimmered as she smiled.

"Oh? Is that what you call this? 'Going out?'" she coyly said.

His face burned red hot, his tail and ears standing nearly straight up on end.

"Oh, oh I just mean, when we were, um, _out_ here, you know, the first time we went out here. To the Crystarium… and stuff," he stammered, sort of wishing he could just jump off the railing and flee right that moment.

She inched closer, her arm hooking around his.

"But, really," he encouraged, "You can tell me anything."

Hana squeezed his arm tight.

"I know," she said, "That's why I like you so much."

Kai-Shirr felt his heart fly up into his throat at her words, and he hoped she couldn't feel how nervous he was.

"I just," she continued, "I always try not to take it personally, because everyone is so busy, and well, not everyone understands or wants to hear about all the aetherology or biology or botany facts floating around in my head… but I can't help but feel a little… alone, I guess. Just sitting here brimming with, I don't know, just so much _stuff_ but with never enough time in the world to really talk about it all."

"Well, you don't have to be alone with me," Kai-Shirr said, instantly regretting how cheesy it must have sounded.

She leaned in and nuzzled her face against his shoulder.

"I know that," she said, "and I appreciate it so much, Kai."

He sighed, relieved.

“It’s… nothing,” he said, trembling as her hand slid down to his, their fingers lacing together.

 _Oh man,_ he thought. He didn’t think it would feel so nice to hold a hand, any hand, let alone hers. It felt so warm and soft, and the gentle squeeze she gave his made a heat climb up his face.

Suddenly feeling the need to be somewhere more private with her, he lead her to a quiet corner, away from prying eyes.

"There isn't as much of a view here," Hana teased, as she leaned against the stone walls. 

"Mm, I dunno. I think it looks alright here," he said, pointedly gazing at her.

Hana smiled as she pulled her hand away and curiously reached for him, making his ears twitch. Her hand cradled his cheek, thumb brushing just underneath those pretty blue eyes of his.

"You're so adorable," she said.

"Ah, don't tease me," he said, unable to keep himself from smiling back, "It's not fair for a pretty girl like you to say things like that to me."

"Oh, so you think I'm prrretty?" she purred, her voice sending a shiver up Kai-Shirr's spine.

"I think… that you really are a tease, ‘Ana," he said, his throat dry. 

She giggled, seemingly unprompted.

"What is it?" he asked, his blush deepening.

"I just like the way you say my name. It's so cute."

He swallowed, his stomach sinking. He had never been anywhere remotely close to this place. Sure, he read all the books; the Eulmorans loved to throw their old things out, especially books, and he always read as many as he could. Plenty of them were tawdry romances, but many were a little more informative than one might expect, and he had read at least a little about romance.

She looked into his eyes, her thumb brushing over his lip. He felt his stomach sink.

"'Ana," he said, gently gripping her wrist and pulling it away, "I don't wanna keep goin’ if you're just… playin’ around. I don't think I could take it..."

Hana sighed, running her fingers along his hair. He shivered from the feel of her blunt nails across his scalp.

"Ohh, I see,” she said, with a small pout, “But don't worry. I'm not just stringing you along. I really do like you, Kai," she said.

"I-I really like you too," he whispered, the closeness of her face rendering him dizzy. 

He closed the space between them, desperately, as if it was the only thing that would keep him from falling. Their lips separated almost as quickly as they met, and she pulled away. She seemed taken aback, lips parted as her lashes fluttered. He took it to mean that he was moving too fast - this was how it always worked in the stories, did he do something wrong?

“Oh, uh, m’sorry--”

And then she suddenly grabbed the back of his head, kissing him with a fervor that caused Kai-Shirr’s mind to race faster than it ever had before. He gripped her body as close to his as possible, moving as if if controlled by some other force. It must have been; surely this wasn’t him, but some alternate version of him who could actually do such brave things like this.

It was quiet, in the hidden corner where they stood, the sounds of their lips meeting the only thing they could hear. His hands ran up her back as he quietly sighed into her mouth, meeting her tongue with his. She skillfully drew it into her mouth, gently sucking on the tip, which he found bewilderingly sensual. A soft, broken groan rumbled in his throat, and she released him, pulling away. She placed a gentle kiss on his lips and another on his nose. 

"Kai," she said, playfully, “do you want to come with me to my room?”

He could have fainted. _Yes. Yes. Blessed bloody black, yes!_

He brushed her hair out of her face and nodded, managing a calm answer in spite of it all.

"Yeah. I'd like that."


End file.
